Heel lift machine



Marh 12, 1935. I c, A, OLSEN HEEL LIFT MACHINE Filed July 13, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Match 12, 1935.

C. A. OL'SEN HEEL LIFT MACHINE Filed July 13, 1931 s sheets-sheet '2 .March 12, 1935. A. OLSEN HEEL LIFT MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet s Filed July 15, 1951 I ya,

Patented Mar. 12, 1935 lifter, Massachusetts Inc., Lynn, Mass, a corporation of I Application July s, 1931, S an... 550.33.;

' 6 Claims. (01. 12-42) This invention relates to a machinefor facilitat'mg the removal and replacement of topliftson shoe heels and particularly the woodenheels of womens shoes. More particularly-thisinvention provides a unitary machine to permit a single operator readily to perform the necessary operations to remove theworn lift, properly to level the heel, if this operation is necessary, to: apply the new top lift, to trim and shape the.

edges of the same and to burnish or buif the heel with the new top lift applied when neces-.

sary. A further aspect of the invention pertains to an arrangement whereby the trimming tool can be readily sharpened by a suitable abrasive or grinding wheel that may be secured to the main shaft of the machine. 1 1

The present invention provides a small unitary machine that may be portable or semi-portable in character and that-does not require a substantial amount of space for installation. The various partsof the machine are so arranged that a single operator with comparatively little training can satisfactorily remove and replace worn top lifts. Machines of this character may be,

installed in shoe stores, department stores, or

may be used by travelling workmen.v

In accordance with this invention, a single unitary frame is provided to support the various heel top lift. The machine preferably has a single main shaft with a rotary trimming tool at one end thereof and with a grinding or sanding element adjoining the other end thereof. Prefv erably a burnishing wheel is also secured to the shaft adjoining the sanding element, and a movable anvil is arranged to cooperate with a fixed portion of the main frame or casting to clamp and 4.0 support the shoe when the worn top lift is being in place are being removed or driven into the body of the heel, as well as when the new lift is being nailed to the heel. The main shaft is preferably provided with driving means intermediate its ends, such driving means preferably may be arranged so that the shaft is rotated by a suitable electric motor or the like. fOneend of theshaft may extend beyond the end of the frame or main casting and carries the burnishing wheel at its outer extremity. Adjoiningthis burnishing wheel is a sanding element comprising a cylinder of abrasive material, such as emery pa-v per, supported upon a yieldable backing "cutter to receive shavings or trimmings'and acfacilitate the removal and replacement of .a shoe removed and the nails which secured the same 1 Theopposite end of .the shaft preferably supports therotary trimming tool which cooperates with a' fixed shear bar in 'permitting the trimmingof the edges of .the lift and the imparting of a suitable curvature to. these edges. A guard or gaugeis arranged over the majorportion of the cutting tool and adjustable to compensate. fcrwear in the latter. The shear bar is also mounted to permit ready adjustment as the rotary trimmer -or cutter wears. A platen upon which the shoe heel is supported preferably is disposed in front of the rotary cutter and is in clined-at an angle to the axis of the main shaft, to facilitate the trimming of the heel. Preferably a special waste chamber is arranged below the cessis afforded thereto by a removable guard that normally covers the end of the cutter, but permits its ready disconnection from the shaft when necessary, as well as permitting the removal of the trimmings from the collecting chamber belowthe cutter. Preferably the burnishing wheel is removable and the shaft carrying the sameis adapted to receive a suitable sharpening or grinding'wheel of abrasive material for resharpening the cutter when necessary. .In the accompanying drawings: 7 I 1 Fig. l is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, certain parts being removed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one end of the 1 machine showing an abrasive disk secured thereto 7 for sharpening the cutter; V Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the opposite end of the machine with the end guard and closure removed;

Fig.5 is a plan view of the machine with a part of the casing broken away and the guards removed;

Fig. 6 is a section indicated by line 6-6 of 40 a new top lift applied thereto before thelatter 45.

is trimmed; I I Fig. 9 is an elevational detail of the end of the machine, with'the end guard removed, showing the position of the shoe heel when the top lift is being trimmed; and Fig. 10 is a section on line10l0 of-Fig.r5'. 'Referring to the accompanying drawings and firstimore particularly to Fig. 1', it is evident that my machine may be installed upon a suitable? bench or table 1 having legs zwhich'may. extend.

downwardly to the floor or which may be arranged to rest on any suitable supporting surface such as a conventional bench. An electric motor 3 preferably is supported below the top of the table 1 by means of hangers 4. This motor is provided with a pulley 5 engaging a belt 6 which is effective in driving the main shaft of the machine. I

The frame or body portion of the machine preferably comprises an aluminum casting 10 with a hollow housing portion 11 at one end having a removableclosure 12 normally secured in place by screws 13 (Fig. 3). This housing preferably is provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined groove 16 which has a shape substantially conforming to the shape of the rear of a shoe upper. An anvil 17 is mounted upon a pin 18, the ends of which are mounted in lugs 19' of the casting and retained by a screw 20. The anvil is thus adapted to swing about the pin as an axis. A clamping bolt 21 provided with a hand screw 22 extends through the anvil and has its inner end fixed in the body portion of the casting. A spring 23 normally holds the anvil against a washer beneath the clamping screw. The anvil preferably has an inner surface which is substantially complementary to the shape of the groove 16 so that the hand nut 22 may be tightened to cause the anvil and adjoining portion ofthe main cast-' ing to clamp the rear portion of a shoe firmly in place with the heel portion of the inner'sole resting upon the upper surface 25 of the anvil.

Preferably the body of the anvil as well as the main casting 10 may be formed of aluminum. but

a steel plate 26 is fixed to the upper part of the.

anvil so that the latter is not readily marred or broken down by the hammering of nails or the like.

The machine preferably has a single shaft 30 upon which the various necessary rotary elements are disposed. This shaft preferably carries a pulley 31 (Fig. 5) within the housing 11 which engages the belt 6, whereby the shaft 30 is driven when the switch for the motor 3 is closed. At each side of the pulley 31 there are suitable bearings designated generally by numeral 33. The main casting preferably has a tunnel portion 35 extending from housing 11 longitudinally of the shaft and covering the latter. A suitable bearing 36 is disposed at the end of the tunnel portion and the shaft 39 projects slightly beyond this hearing and carries a rotary cutter 3'? having a plurality of curved cutting elements 38 with cutting edges 39 which are adapted to cooperate with the inner end of a shear bar so in trimming the top lift (Fig. 9).

In front of the cutter the casing provides a platen surface 42 which is inclined laterally and upwardly toward the intermediate part of the main shaft 30, as shown in Fig. 1. This inclination of the platen surface is particularly advantageous in facilitating the trimming of top lifts on high heels. The shear bar 10 is disposed in a groove in the platen portion of the casting and is clamped in place by a screw 43 engaging a slot 44 in the bar.

A gauge and guard 50 has a planar portion '51 slidably mounted in a groove aligned with the groove for the bar 40 but disposed at the rear of the cutter. The planar portion 51 of the guard is provided with a slot through which an adjusting screw 54 extends to hold the guard in place. A set screw 53 is disposed at the back of the machine with its axis at right anglesto the screw 54 and is adapted to engage the lower end of the axis of shaft 30, while the portion of the platen surface 42 that is in the plane of the cutter at right angles to the shaft axis may be disposed substantially of an inch below this axis; thus permitting the desired concave curvature to be given to the edge of the lift. As the cutting elements 38 of the rotary cutter become worn and its diameter decreases, the shear member is adjusted inwardly toward the axis of the shaft 30 to compensate for this wear while the guard 50 may be adjusted rearwardly so that its overhanging portion 57 remains in the same relationship to the cutter 37.

Below the end of shaft 30 the casting is preferably shaped to cooperate with the top of the H table 1 in providing a hollow chamber 60, Fig. 6, the casting being broken away as designated by numeral 61 below cutter 3'7 to permit trimmings or shavings to fall into this waste receiving chamber. The end of the casting preferably is provided with an opening 63 communicating with the chamber 60 (Fig. 4) this opening has parallel vertical edges provided with grooves 64 that slidably receive the vertical edges of a combined closure and end guard 65 formed of sheet metal.

The latter is shown more clearly in Fig. 7 and comprises the depending rectangular portion 66, the edges of which are received in the grooves 64 and comprises a planar portion 57 disposed at an angle to the portion 65 to engage the platen surface 42, while a substantially semi-circular upwardly bent tab 68 is secured to the edge of the portion 67 and is disposed adjoining the end of the shaft 30, thus cooperating with the gauge 57 in enclosing the rotary cutter and preventing accidental injury to the operator or other persons. As shown, the portions 66 and 67 of the member 65 are connected to each other by means of a flange 69 formed by bending the metal back on itself and thus affording means permitting the ready sliding upward ofthe member 65 out of the grooves 64 so that access is afforded through the opening 63 to the chamber 60, thus allowing removal of the collected trimmings or shavings when desired.

The end of shaft 30 remote from cutter 37 preferably is provided with a threaded extremity receiving a clamping bolt '70 which engages a washer 71 that is effective in clamping a burnishing wheel '72 against a shoulder upon the shaft. The burnishing wheel '72 may be or" the type that is well known in shoe manufacturing and may have a shoulder portion '74 provided with a plurality of radial slots 76, thus affording in effect castellations, while an annular rib '73 is provided on the intermediate part of the wheel (Figs. 3 and 5). Adjoining the housing 11 of the casting 10 the shaft 30 is provided with a tapered portion '79 and a rubber bushing or sleeve 7'? may be disposed between the end of wheel '72 and the housing (Fig. 10). The enlarged portion of the shaft 30 provided by the taper '79 causes the tight gripping of the shaft by the rubber sleeve. The latter preferably is disposed within a cylinder '73 of I all be clamped against the bushing by the nut 70' and washer 71. This disk or abrasive wheel 82 may be shaped to permit the readysharpeningof the cutting edges 38 of the trimmer 37, which is detachably secured to the opposite end of shaft 30.

A'machine of this character may available and the motor 3 is connected through a suitable socket connection withan ordinary electric outlet. When a top lift is to be replaced the shoe may be disposed upon the anvil 17, the hand nut 22 being tightened so that the rear portion of the shoe is clamped between the anvil and the-recessed portion 16 of the housing 11. Thereupon the worntop lift may be priedoff the heel by any suitable hand tool and the nails revmaining in the heel may be pulled out or driven entirely into the heel.

If the surface of the heel after the old top lift is removed is not ready for the application of the new top lift; for example, if it is worn off at an angle, the shoe is removed from the anvil before the new .top lift is applied, and the lift receiving surface of the heel is treated with the sanding element 78 so that it is hat and disposed at a proper angle to receivethe new top lift. The new top lift may then be applied to the heel which is supported by the anvil. Top lifts preferably may be provided to users of machines of this character with holes already piercedin the rubber or leather thereof to serve as guides for the nails. The nails are then readily driven into the heel at the proper angles to each other to assure firm retention of the top lift on the heel. Thereupon the nut 22 may be loosened and the spring 23 is effective in causing anvil 17 to swing about pin 18, thus releasing the shoe so that it may be lifted off of the machine. a

The top lift 90 as applied to the heel 91, as shown in Fig. 8, is then ready to have its edges I treated. The control switch for the motor 3 is closed to cause the shaft 30 to be rotated, thus rotating the cutter 37. The heel with the top lift applied thereto is then disposed upon the platen surface 40 and the surafce of the heel is held in engagement with the overhanging end 58 of gauge 50, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the cutter cooperates with the shear bar 40 in trimming the lift; Since the lift is disposed below the axis of rotation of the cutter, a concave curvature isimparted to the edge of the lift as shown. The arrangement of the platen surface 42' at an inclination to the axis of the shaft 30 is particularly advantageous as shown by the dotted line position of the shoe in Fig. 1, since the shoe sole may be readily passed over the tunnel portion 35 of the housing which closely encloses the shaft 30 without causing lifting of the heel from the platen surface or requiring. undue'or troublesome distortion of the shoe. If the surface 42 were horizontal and disposed, for example a; of an inch below the shaft axis, the shoe sole would normally be disposed below the axis of shaft 30' and considerable difficulty would be involved in distorting the shoe sufliciently so that the sole might be swungover the tunnel portion 35 without removing the lift from its proper position in face-tobe disposed at any suitable point where electric power isv face engagement with the platen surface. After 7 the lift has been trimmed by the cutter 37, the

bufiingwheel 72 may be employed to smooth the joint between the lift and the heel of the shoe if necessary. Y

From'the foregoing it is evident that I have provided-a simple unitary machine having all of the moving rotary implement thereof upon a single shaft and having combined with its frame an anvil and clamping means'to support a-shoe, this machine being adapted to hold the shoe during operations which are performed manually and being adapted to perform all of the mechanically effected operations which are necessary in removing and replacing worn heel lifts. The machineis also advantageous since it permits the ready use of a grinding disk for sharpening the cuttingtool when the latter becomes worn and since the cutting tool may be readily removed from the shaft'for such a sharpening operation.

The arrangement of the end guard 65 is also advantageous in cooperating with the gauge 50 in enclosing the trimming wheel 37. Member 65 also may be readily removed to permit the trimmings which are collected in the chamber 60 to be removed and disposed of. The. arrangement of the chamber 60 is especially desirable when a machine of this character is employed in a department store or shoe store where it would be undesirable to have shavings or trimmings scattered upon the floor.

. I claim:

1. A machine of the class described, comprising a rotary shaft, bearing means and driving means,

both associated with said shaft, a frame provid: ing a platen surface in front of the cutter, a gauge extending over the cutter and having an end spaced above the platen surface, a cover plate covering the end of the cutter and cooperating with the guard to enclose the cutter, the frame providing a chamber below the cutter with an opening through which trimmings from the cutter may fall into the chamber.

2. A machine of the class described, compris ing a rotary shaft, bearing means and driving means,-both associated with said shaft, a frame providing a platen surface in front of the cutter, a gauge extending over the cutter and having an end spaced above the platen surface, the frame providing a chamber below the cutter with an opening through which trimmings from the cutter may fall into the chamber, and a movable closure I r to afford access to the chamber, an extension of said closure providing a guard adjoining the end of the shaft carrying the cutter to cooperate with said gauge in enclosing-the cutter.

3. Machine comprising a frame member, an

anvil pivotally connected to said member and housing supporting the shaft, said housing having an enlarged portion to enclose the driving element, an anvil pivotally connected to the housing, said enlarged portion of the housing providing a recess shaped to cooperate with the anvil in gripping the rear partof a shoe upper, and means for moving the anvil into juxtaposition to the recess thus to grip a shoe with its heel portion disposed over the top of the anvil.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination comprising a frame having bearing portions to receive a shaft extending therethrough and having an enlarged portion to enclose a driving element upon the shaft, an anvil pivotally connected to the housing, said enlarged portion of the housing providing recess shaped to cooperate with the anvil in gripping the rear part of'a shoe upper, and means for moving the anvil into juxtaposition to the recess thus to grip a shoe with its heel portion disposed over the top of the anvil, said housing having a portion of relatively small cross section extending from the enlarged portion to one of said bearings at a distance at least of the order of the extent of a conventional shoe sole, whereby a rotary tool mounted upon the end of the shaft may be employed in Working upon a shoe While the sole portion of the shoe may be 5W1 ng over said housing portion of relatively small cross section.

6. In a machine of the class described, the

combination comprising a frame having bearing portions to receive a shaft extending therethrough and having an enlarged portion to enclose a driving element upon the shaft, an anvil pivotally connected to the housing, said enlarged portion of the housing providing a recess shaped to cooperate with the anvil in gripping the rear part of a shoe upper, means for moving the anvil into juxtaposition to the recess thus to grip a shoe with its heel portion disposed over the top of the anvil, said housing having a tunnel portion of relatively small cross section extending from the enlarged portion to one of said bearings at a distance at least of the order of the extent of a conventional shoe sole, and. an extension of the housing projected beyond said tunnel portion and providing a platen surface to support the heel of a shoe in a position to be acted upon by a tool mounted on the end of the shaft extending beyond said tunnel portion of the housing, while the sole of the shoe may be disposed over said tunnel portion. I

CARL A. OLSEN. 

